# Gov. Schwarzenegger banned from Sacramento cigar shop



## BradSacramento (Sep 19, 2007)

*Local cigar shop refuses service to the Govenator*

Local cigar shop refuses service to the Govenator Arnold.....

Hello all.

I was just watching the news here in Sacramento on Channel 13 and they featured how the local shop below, has now refused service to the governor or anyone trying to buy cigars for him. They say until he changes his policy of backing the cigar tax, they are refusing him service. Apparently, they have done business in the past. They say that as a cigar smoker, he needs to support cigar smokers. Amen! Nice move I think. I'm emailing them vocalizing my support. They have a sign posted on the door as well.

http://towercigars.com/store/

Brad


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## gamayrouge (Dec 21, 2007)

*Re: Local cigar shop refuses service to the Govenator*

Tower Cigars, stickin' it to the man!


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## Even Steven (Dec 15, 2006)

*Re: Local cigar shop refuses service to the Govenator*

GET TO DA CHOPPAH!!

Awesome, at first I thought "aw that wasn't cool!" then I read everything and now I'm all for it.


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## scoutmaster022 (Feb 1, 2007)

check this out on the yahoo home page Gov. Schwarzenegger banned from Sacramento cigar shop saw it this morning:cb


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## Ron1YY (Mar 3, 2005)

Here's the link to it. Good for Tower Cigars and Pipes for making a stand!!!!!!!

http://www.cbs13.com/video/[email protected]

Ron


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## dustingaunder (Jan 8, 2008)

Admittance is :fu :c:gn:gn :mnTerminated:mn:gn:gn:c :fu!!!
:r

DG


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## Darb85 (Jan 30, 2005)

dustingaunder said:


> Admittance is :fu :c:gn:gn :mnTerminated:mn:gn:gn:c :fu!!!
> :r
> 
> DG


^wow....this is amazingly usless post.^

I can understand why the owner would do that.


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## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

Darb85 said:


> ^wow....this is amazingly usless post.^
> 
> I can understand why the owner would do that.


Ahnold flaunts his love of the leaf, but then goes and supports antismoking legislation. If I owned a shop i'd do the same thing. Hippocrite!


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## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

Good for the shop owner!


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## stig (Mar 9, 2006)

I see that cigar shops business increasing a lot in the next month


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## parshooter (Dec 22, 2007)

Good for them. Although, I would have sold them the cigars, with the appropriate tax added on :ss


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## kheffelf (Jul 31, 2006)

Good for Mark, I will definitely keep doing business with him.


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## WyoBob (Mar 6, 2007)

Cotton said:


> Good for them. Although, I would have sold them the cigars, with the appropriate tax added on :ss


Great idea. "That will be $15.00 for your Cremosa, Governor, plus a $50.00 "hypocrite" tax brings the total to $65.00".

WyoBob


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## muziq (Mar 14, 2005)

Cotton said:


> Good for them. Although, I would have sold them the cigars, with the appropriate tax added on :ss


:r The special "Governator" discount, eh? Nice...:tu


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## dwhitacre (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for posting this Brad!!! 

If I come down there to visit Tower, in a week or two, we should get together!!! I think the shop could use a little more support!:tu


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## ja3480 (Nov 21, 2007)

dwhitacre said:


> Thanks for posting this Brad!!!
> 
> If I come down there to visit Tower, in a week or two, we should get together!!! I think the shop could use a little more support!:tu


Let me guess... Schwarzenegger gave the cheeeeezzzzeee line I"LL BE BACK

Good for the owner!!! Stick to your guns!!


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## jjirons69 (Jul 15, 2007)

Damn it, now Arnold will be driving up the bids on the Devil site!


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## Soprano3695 (Jul 16, 2007)

That's great..but is it legal? :tu


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## jkorp (Sep 27, 2007)

Awesome! And that was a great news feature with owner explaining his stance. :tu


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## Rahllin (May 25, 2007)

WyoBob said:


> Great idea. "That will be $15.00 for your Cremosa, Governor, plus a $50.00 "hypocrite" tax brings the total to $65.00".
> 
> WyoBob


Then he would have wrote it off as a business expense, and the tax payers would have ended up paying for it anyway :hn


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## ky toker (Jun 2, 2005)

Soprano3695 said:


> That's great..but is it legal? :tu


All states have slight differences in their laws and this is Kali, but business' can refuse service to individuals. When O.J. was in town for the Derby a steak house refused service to him.

It's great that they are making a stand on this and calling him out.


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## SUOrangeGuy (Feb 22, 2006)

The owners have an awesome last name too. Don't meet many people with it. 

Its my last name too. No relation.


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## JMAC (Oct 24, 2006)

I thought he only smoked CC's anyway.


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## Poriggity (Dec 8, 2005)

Good for them. Sure they lost his business, but its a great way to take a stand. Here in CA, every business has the right to refuse service to anyone!
Scott


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## Corona Gigante-cl (Sep 8, 2005)

*Re: Local cigar shop refuses service to the Govenator*



gamayrouge said:


> Tower Cigars, stickin' it to the man!


It's nice when you can combine a principled stand with a bunch of free publicity.


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## Fishbeadtwo (May 30, 2006)

I'm sure he will just find another store but good for the shop owner to to deny him!


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## mustang1 (Oct 11, 2007)

*Re: Local cigar shop refuses service to the Govenator*



Even Steven said:


> GET TO DA CHOPPAH!!
> 
> Awesome, at first I thought "aw that wasn't cool!" then I read everything and now I'm all for it.


Send In My Secret Shoppah!.

Good for them, I shall patronize this establishment.


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## PUFFNMO (Mar 14, 2006)

This is reminiscent of JFK's sending Pierre Salinger out to buy several hundred boxes of Havana cigars the day before he signed the Cuban trade embargo.

"Sorry, no more Cuban cigars for U.S. citizens. (I got mine...) Larry.


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## Addiction (May 8, 2007)

Wow you guys are hardcore. I think its completely cool that he smokes and supports a tax on cigars. To a degree its irrelevent when you have Arnold money but I also don't consider SCHIP the worst of all possible worlds. After all it won't stop me from buying cigars, I'll just buy fewer of them.


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## hoax (Aug 7, 2007)

Addiction said:


> Wow you guys are hardcore. I think its completely cool that he smokes and supports a tax on cigars. To a degree its irrelevent when you have Arnold money but I also don't consider SCHIP the worst of all possible worlds. After all it won't stop me from buying cigars, I'll just buy fewer of them.


Except that it's killing all of our local cigar shops because cigars online are a 1/3 the price.


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## groogs (Oct 13, 2007)

Good for John, and Mark. This is my favorite B&M, and with decisions like this I know why.:ss


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## hotreds (Dec 4, 2007)

Sehr gut, Tower Cigars! Bravo!


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## yamaha6000 (Apr 6, 2007)

Thanks for the story, this made my day.


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## adsantos13 (Oct 10, 2006)

hoax said:


> Except that it's killing all of our local cigar shops because cigars online are a 1/3 the price.


But this is capitalism, no? With the internet, certain traditional businesses must evolve or die. Harsh, I know, especially when people have spent a lot of time becoming valued customers and sometimes friends with their local B%M's, but thats the nature of the game. Arguing that the cigar taxes are putting people out of business because of online sales is basically arguing that B&M owners need some sort of government protection to stay in business. Bottom line is that people find the lowest price and buy at that price. Those who don't compete go away. Even if all taxes were abolished on tobacco, internet sites would be able to sell cigars cheaper due to lower operating costs.

If the government wanted to tax cigars and keep small businesses alive, they'd have to also start collecting taxes on internet sales across state lines which would ensure that the prices wouldn't be different whether you ordered online or walked over to your local B&M.

Ask the big music companies how their profits are looking now that with the advent of itunes and similar services we no longer have to buy a whole CD or record just for one song. Or how about the big TV networks and Cable stations, who now have to compete against the internet as the main entertainment source in people's homes.

Just my :2 and probably bad economic/business analysis  and for the record I am against high tobacco taxes because naturally as a cigar smoker, I want to buy cigars at as low a cost as possible.


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## SR Mike (Feb 4, 2008)

Ahnold is not going to be phased. He has stated that he is not done with pushing the cigar tax. Anything he can do to continue to turn his back on his promises and conservatives...


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## fizguy (Jul 26, 2006)

adsantos13 said:


> But this is capitalism, no? With the internet, certain traditional businesses must evolve or die. Harsh, I know, especially when people have spent a lot of time becoming valued customers and sometimes friends with their local B%M's, but thats the nature of the game. Arguing that the cigar taxes are putting people out of business because of online sales is basically arguing that B&M owners need some sort of government protection to stay in business. Bottom line is that people find the lowest price and buy at that price. Those who don't compete go away. Even if all taxes were abolished on tobacco, internet sites would be able to sell cigars cheaper due to lower operating costs.
> 
> If the government wanted to tax cigars and keep small businesses alive, they'd have to also start collecting taxes on internet sales across state lines which would ensure that the prices wouldn't be different whether you ordered online or walked over to your local B&M.
> 
> ...


well, my analysis is no better than yours, but I disagree with the "it's capitalism, right?" part. It's not as if the original poster was asking for government intervention against online retailers to make things more competitive for local businesses. It is the government intervention itself that creates the imbalance.

Normally we praise free market capitalism because it rewards things we value, good products, good customer service, efficiency. In this case we are simply rewarding a business not having a local presence by taxing the business that DO (highly, I might add).

my :2


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## hoax (Aug 7, 2007)

fizguy said:


> It's not as if the original poster was asking for government intervention against online retailers to make things more competitive for local businesses. It is the government intervention itself that creates the imbalance.


Exactly.


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## Darrell (Aug 12, 2007)

Good, Arnold is a hypocritical tool. :tu


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## adsantos13 (Oct 10, 2006)

fizguy said:


> well, my analysis is no better than yours, but I disagree with the "it's capitalism, right?" part. It's not as if the original poster was asking for government intervention against online retailers to make things more competitive for local businesses. It is the government intervention itself that creates the imbalance.
> 
> Normally we praise free market capitalism because it rewards things we value, good products, good customer service, efficiency. In this case we are simply rewarding a business not having a local presence by taxing the business that DO (highly, I might add).
> 
> my :2


Fizguy, I agree with you 100%. I misconstrued the statement. I guess I am making the assumption that taxes are here to stay and thus, B&M's will take the fall...


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## l0venpeace (Oct 5, 2007)

That's so cool, and a good idea from a business stand point. They are going to get mountains of press out of this!


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## Addiction (May 8, 2007)

adsantos13 said:


> But this is capitalism, no? With the internet, certain traditional businesses must evolve or die. Harsh, I know, especially when people have spent a lot of time becoming valued customers and sometimes friends with their local B%M's, but thats the nature of the game. Arguing that the cigar taxes are putting people out of business because of online sales is basically arguing that B&M owners need some sort of government protection to stay in business. Bottom line is that people find the lowest price and buy at that price. Those who don't compete go away. Even if all taxes were abolished on tobacco, internet sites would be able to sell cigars cheaper due to lower operating costs.
> 
> If the government wanted to tax cigars and keep small businesses alive, they'd have to also start collecting taxes on internet sales across state lines which would ensure that the prices wouldn't be different whether you ordered online or walked over to your local B&M.
> 
> ...


Actually I completely agree with this post. You can go back to the advent of mail order businesses (Sears, Penny's) and see a very similair effect.


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## shilala (Feb 1, 2008)

I've always found it ironic that the same state that hires a slow witted b movie actor to run the state's business is shocked when he does borderline retarded things.
I'm pretty sure that if I voted for him, I'd expect it.


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## Harpo (Oct 11, 2007)

Great idea. We need more high-profile cigar smokers speaking out for us. I mean c'mon, there's enough of them...


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## Volt (Jan 6, 2008)

adsantos13 said:


> Fizguy, I agree with you 100%. I misconstrued the statement. I guess I am making the assumption that taxes are here to stay and thus, B&M's will take the fall...


Heck it's not the taxes that force me to the devil site, it's the mark up. $18 a Gurkha Beast at the B&M, box of 5 at the devil site averaged out at $8 a stick. I get they need to charge a bit more for the walls, electricity, etc, but a 125% more??? I like going in and getting single sticks, butane, a tin or two but fiscally it's just not something I can afford. Truley makes this new guy wonder about teh cigar pricing world.


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## JCK (Nov 9, 2006)

Mark is a great vendor that really loves cigars. He's registered here. I'll shoot him a PM and let him know we appreciate what he's done.


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## a2vr6 (Oct 28, 2006)

What a dick arnie is. Someone should friggin kick his door in and sequester all thosr Monte's he must have piled up. :gn


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## kheffelf (Jul 31, 2006)

khubli said:


> Mark is a great vendor that really loves cigars. He's registered here. I'll shoot him a PM and let him know we appreciate what he's done.


I didn't know he was a member here, I knew he was a member over at cp.


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## JCK (Nov 9, 2006)

I looked in the memberlist.. same name over here.. I imagine it's the same Mark. :]. joined 2004, total 8 posts. maybe we'll get post 9 out of him.


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## Ron1YY (Mar 3, 2005)

khubli said:


> I looked in the memberlist.. same name over here.. I imagine it's the same Mark. :]. joined 2004, total 8 posts. maybe we'll get post 9 out of him.


I hope he does. I'd buy him a drink and a smoke for making the stand that he did. If there were any politician that came into my shop, I'd do the same!!!

Ron


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## Hammerhead (Sep 7, 2005)

*Re: Local cigar shop refuses service to the Govenator*

I don't know if this has been proposed yet, but perhaps the way to help them make a stand on this is to arrange a BUYcott. You know what a boycott is, a buycott is the inverse.

Is there someone who'd be willing to coordinate a group buy from them? It'd be a great way for us to help push back on the nanny-state if we had thousands of dollars in purchases to this particular store that they could publicize.

Just a thought...


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## smokeyscotch (Apr 26, 2007)

I applaud these people. We need more like them.:tu


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## nozero (Jul 7, 2007)

I commend the establishments owner for what appears to be his action based on his convictions.
:tu


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## Ron1YY (Mar 3, 2005)

*Re: Local cigar shop refuses service to the Govenator*



Hammerhead said:


> I don't know if this has been proposed yet, but perhaps the way to help them make a stand on this is to arrange a BUYcott. You know what a boycott is, a buycott is the inverse.
> 
> Is there someone who'd be willing to coordinate a group buy from them? It'd be a great way for us to help push back on the nanny-state if we had thousands of dollars in purchases to this particular store that they could publicize.
> 
> Just a thought...


Great idea!!!!!!!! Give me a day or so to work something out, then I'll post up!!!!!

Ron


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## Even Steven (Dec 15, 2006)

This whole thing must have been embarrassing for him. He went in there probably with a smile on his face expecting some kind of warm welcome, thinking he'll satisfy his crave for a good cigar and he gets shut down! hahahah

"I got a headache, IT'S NOT A TUMAH!!"


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## macjoe53 (Jul 8, 2007)

shilala said:


> I've always found it ironic that the same state that hires a slow witted b movie actor to run the state's business is shocked when he does borderline retarded things.
> I'm pretty sure that if I voted for him, I'd expect it.


You're making an assumption that he is slow witted. Is that based on your personal knowledge or just the fact that you don't like him?


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## emeraldsmoke (Oct 10, 2006)

Cant find anything on the net to verify any of the Arnold stuff.


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## Opusfxd (Nov 17, 2007)

A case of someone talking out one side their mouth and smokin out the other.


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## Ron1YY (Mar 3, 2005)

Ron1YY said:


> Here's the link to it. Good for Tower Cigars and Pipes for making a stand!!!!!!!
> 
> http://www.cbs13.com/video/[email protected]
> 
> Ron





emeraldsmoke said:


> Cant find anything on the net to verify any of the Arnold stuff.


Here you go Brother

Ron


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## NorcalMark (Apr 23, 2005)

Hey guys,

I want to thank you for the kind words. My father started this small b&m 41 years ago. My aunt worked at the store. My grandfather worked in the store.
I grew up in and around the store. I have worked for my father for close to 16 years.


I never intended or dreamed of getting rich doing what I do. I do it for the love of the leaf. And it keeps me close to my father who still works with me at the store. We still do things the old fashion way. We still make deals with a hand shake not a contract and a lawyer. Because you are only as good as your word. If the deal smells, we get rid of it.

My sign was my way of protesting something I didn't and still don't think is right. I never intended for this to make the paper let alone the news. I don't
seek the limelight or wish to be famous. Although I'd like to see that Katherine Heigl chick up close and personal. LOL

I do what I do for the love of the industry. Not to get rich, but to take care of my family, live a comfortable life. I wake up everyday wondering what is next. I just found out yesterday that another group has filed an initiative to raise the tobacco tax on cigars and cigarettes. This is shortly after the house speakers plan failed.

IT NEVER ENDS.

Again thank you for the kind words. Keep up the fight in your own states, because if you think it won't happen to you or in your state, you are sadly mistaken.

Mark Just
Owner/President
Tower Pipes & Cigars.


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## kheffelf (Jul 31, 2006)

Thanks for posting this Mark, had no idea you were a member here.


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## Soprano3695 (Jul 16, 2007)

NorcalMark said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I want to thank you for the kind words. My father started this small b&m 41 years ago. My aunt worked at the store. My grandfather worked in the store.
> I grew up in and around the store. I have worked for my father for close to 16 years.
> ...


Take a pic of the sign and post it on here.


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## Hammerhead (Sep 7, 2005)

NorcalMark said:


> ...Keep up the fight in your own states, because if you think it won't happen to you or in your state, you are sadly mistaken.


Exactly my point when we talk about our 2nd Amendment rights. You cannot pick and choose what rights you want to preserve for yourself while electing politicians who transgress against the rights of others. But don't stop at the border of your state. What happens out there affects you at home. Precedents set in one state can bugger us as a nation. Look at the law that banned incandescent lights in Cali, now it's a federal thing.

Give up no ground. Support your freedoms, and those of others. That's why I proposed a 'buycott'.

"We must hang together, gentlemen...else, we shall most assuredly hang separately."
_- Benjamin Franklin_

"To get freedom for yourself, you must give freedom to your neighbor, even if you sometimes don't like what he does with it."
- Me.


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## yamaha6000 (Apr 6, 2007)

(Kinda off topic) I found a good website thats fighting the ban in Wisconsin with some neat pictures to use. www.banthebanwisconsin.com I'm sure there are others for other states as well.


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## Cozy (Feb 4, 2008)

Mark is Da man. I am in for a Buycott. :tu


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## Tour De Cigar (Feb 26, 2007)

dustingaunder said:


> Admittance is :fu :c:gn:gn :mnTerminated:mn:gn:gn:c :fu!!!
> :r
> 
> DG


lol... nice.. :tu atleast somebody is standing up to this tax business.. but lets face the facts its gonna take more than 1 B&M for any changes and all the gov. is gonna do is go to another cigar shop and purchase....


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## woops (Aug 5, 2007)

I called earlier tonight to voice my support, I believe I spoke to your father. Nice guy!

I applaud you, Mark!


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## Tour De Cigar (Feb 26, 2007)

Even Steven said:


> This whole thing must have been embarrassing for him. He went in there probably with a smile on his face expecting some kind of warm welcome, thinking he'll satisfy his crave for a good cigar and he gets shut down! hahahah
> 
> "I got a headache, IT'S NOT A TUMAH!!"


He didnt go in.. From the report he orders online...


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## macjoe53 (Jul 8, 2007)

NorcalMark said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I want to thank you for the kind words. My father started this small b&m 41 years ago. My aunt worked at the store. My grandfather worked in the store.
> I grew up in and around the store. I have worked for my father for close to 16 years.
> ...


If you take online orders, I'll buy from you.


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## oceanelect4 (May 5, 2007)

way to go guy love your style. cant figure out with the the cable and tv statement my bill keeps going up if its cable or direct. yr after yr after yr.


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## BradSacramento (Sep 19, 2007)

Don't really know how to do it but we should give massive ring gauge to Mark!

Brad


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## dwhitacre (Jan 2, 2008)

BradSacramento said:


> Don't really know how to do it but we should give massive ring gauge to Mark!
> 
> Brad


I just bumped him Brad!!!

Hit the Box with the X at the bottom of the Avatar Personal Profile Box








*Down Here*


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## l0venpeace (Oct 5, 2007)

Volt said:


> Heck it's not the taxes that force me to the devil site, it's the mark up. $18 a Gurkha Beast at the B&M, box of 5 at the devil site averaged out at $8 a stick. I get they need to charge a bit more for the walls, electricity, etc, but a 125% more??? I like going in and getting single sticks, butane, a tin or two but fiscally it's just not something I can afford. Truley makes this new guy wonder about teh cigar pricing world.


125% more is not unreasonable. First, WHOLESALE on the Beast is higher than that. So the site selling at $8/stick is taking a loss on the sale, or they have negotiated for a better wholesale rate with their mass buying power (a la Walmart). Plus, rent on a retail space is easily $6,000/month or more, plus you have to pay all of those employees. Start crunching the numbers and it adds up f-a-s-t.

Bottom line is the proposed taxes are bad for both internet and B&M vendors, not to mention consumers. I say, bring back tea tax and let us smoke in peace!

Obama is (was) a smoker- I wonder if he'll support the industry or go the other way to prove to his critics that he can be hard on smoking? If Arnold, of all politicians, has supported a cigar tax, any thing's possible.


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## Volt (Jan 6, 2008)

l0venpeace said:


> 125% more is not unreasonable. First, WHOLESALE on the Beast is higher than that. So the site selling at $8/stick is taking a loss on the sale, or they have negotiated for a better wholesale rate with their mass buying power (a la Walmart). Plus, rent on a retail space is easily $6,000/month or more, plus you have to pay all of those employees. Start crunching the numbers and it adds up f-a-s-t.
> 
> Bottom line is the proposed taxes are bad for both internet and B&M vendors, not to mention consumers. I say, bring back tea tax and let us smoke in peace!
> 
> Obama is (was) a smoker- I wonder if he'll support the industry or go the other way to prove to his critics that he can be hard on smoking? If Arnold, of all politicians, has supported a cigar tax, any thing's possible.


Might depend on where your at. Rent in the strip mall where this one is at runs about $1,400 a month. Employees - 1 owner and 1 employee. Maybe the B&M needs to buy from Cbid and then sell at a discount if the devil site is selling below what they have to pay. I'm not in the great cigar loop in the world, but it's definitly screwy. Living out in the country so to speak, I do a ton of my shopping on the internet, beats paying the gas bill to drive around. This product seems to have the largest price swing of any even if I exclude the auction site. I still vist the B&M, just not as much as I would like I would like too.


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## NorcalMark (Apr 23, 2005)

macjoe53 said:


> If you take online orders, I'll buy from you.


I sure do Mac.

www.towercigars.com/store


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